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Synonyms

tailings

British  
/ ˈteɪlɪŋz /

plural noun

  1. waste left over after certain processes, such as from an ore-crushing plant or in milling grain

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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Federal Court judge Stephen Burley described how four large open-pit mines, a railway, tailings dam, waste dumps and a stockpile were strewn across the lands of the Yindjibarndi people in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

From Barron's May 12, 2026

Twenty-five workers were inside the gold mine when the tailings dam - a structure which holds mining waste - burst on 25 March.

From BBC Apr. 9, 2026

Miles and miles of refineries and their stinking tailings ponds, adjacent to beach resorts that run on desalination plants.

From Salon Mar. 17, 2026

The area in Linhares, Espírito Santo, has been exposed to iron mining waste since the Fundão tailings dam collapsed in Minas Gerais in November 2015.

From Science Daily Feb. 17, 2026

Within a few seconds, he reaches down into the tailings and squeals out, “Turquoise!”

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

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